White Sox notebook: Trade? Yes way, Jose

CHICAGO -- There was a time, just over a year ago, when it would have taken the world for the White Sox to trade Jose Contreras...

By Nathaniel Whalen

There was a time, just over a year ago, when it would have taken the world for the White Sox to trade Jose Contreras.

That time is long gone.

Now the Sox might not be able to give him away.

After another poor start -- nine runs allowed in 4 2/3 innings in Wednesday night’s 13-9 loss to the Tigers -- Contreras is looking less and less like a piece a contender might deal for before Tuesday’s non-waiver trade deadline.

“If scouts are looking at him, the velocity was there, not bad, but the command was real bad,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “You can say, ‘Can we fix it?’ or ‘Might he pitch better against particular teams?’ So many things scouts can think.

“Right now, if he pitches the way he pitch last night, you will be scratching your head and saying, ‘I don’t know if we are going to make this move.’

“But this game goes so crazy and people do so many stuff that you never know what will happen.”

The New York Mets, thought to be one of the teams most in need of starting pitching and willing to take a chance on Contreras, had a scout in attendance Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field.

“It was the most confident today coming out of the bullpen the whole year,” Contreras said after Wednesday’s game. “I really thought I was going to have a good outing, just let a couple pitches high and nothing was working out.”

His velocity was up some, but so were those pitches.

“I wouldn’t say (he’s) fading, because he goes out there, and I think if he eliminates a few mistakes, he’s fine,” catcher Toby Hall said. “Right now, it’s snowballed. He still has the stuff.”

Despite Contreras being 1-9 with an 8.27 ERA over his last 11 starts, Guillen said the Sox haven’t discussed moving him out of the rotation.

Sending A Message

Guillen said if the Sox are going to contend next year, they’re going to need a massive overhaul of their roster.

“We are going to do something different here, and obviously, there’s going to be new blood,” Guillen said.

Danks for Nothing

Though starting pitcher John Danks didn’t get the win Thursday, he impressed Guillen.

“I love it. He throw the ball unbelievable good,” Guillen said.

Danks allowed three runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings, but it was his fifth strikeout that was the biggest. With men on second and third with one out in the seventh, Danks fanned the dangerous Curtis Granderson.

Ehren Wassermann came in and retired Placido Polanco to end the threat.

“Obviously, I feel a lot more comfortable now,” Danks said. “I still need to make some pitches, but for the most part, I feel like I did a good job.”

Fun in the Sun

Former Sox general manager Roland Hemond, who had been serving the Sox as an executive adviser, was named assistant to the president of the Arizona Diamondbacks.